Acrobatic toy.



J. D. BRAUGHT.

ACROBATIC TOY.

7 APPLICATION FILED no.9. 1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

0.. PHOID-LITHO. WASHINGTON, n.

THE IYORRIS PE JOHN D. flitRA'U'GrH'l, 0F CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AGROBATIC TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed December 9, 1914. Serial No. 876,253.

To all whom it may concern .1

Be it known that I, JOHN D. BRAUGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Acrobatic Toys, Of Which the following is a specification. p

My invention relates to toys, and conslsts of certain improvements in the well known form of acrobatic toy known as the J umping-Jack, which comprises usually a jointed figure carried by a pair of flexible cords or bands passing through pairs of apertures in the hand portions of such figures, which flexible cords or bands are secured F130 and loosely held between a pair of supports, and in which motion is imparted to the figure by spreading the supports so as to tlghten the cords; the figure whirling or turning back and forth as the cords are twisted and on twisted from one side to the other.

My present invention relates to means for operating the toy figure, and itconsists of a novel form of mount for the toy figure, and a novel form of, device or actuating means for spreading the supporting sticks so as to eflect the twisting anduntwistmg 0f the cords or bands from which the figure is suspended and the consequent whirling of the jointed figure. 1

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of my 1 mproved toy; Fig. 2, is a sectlonal elevation of the same in one position, and Fig. {3, 1s a sectional elevation showing the same in another position.

In the drawings, 1, 1 represent a pair of sticks or standards projecting upwardly from a suitable platform 2, which may be mounted upon a box-like base or support 3, into which said sticks or standards extend. If desired, this base may be weighted to provide a stable support for. the toy. The stick or standard 1 is fixed against mo-vement to the base, by means of a screw 2*, for mstance, while the stick or standard 1 is supported by the platform in such manner as to be free for lateral movement, and in thls connection such stick or standard is preferably provided with a shoulder 1 which determines its vertical position wlth respect to the platform, In addition such stick may be held to the platform my means of a pin 2 passed through the same on the under side of the platform. Connecting these sticks at the top of the same and suitably secured thereto is a looped cord 5 forming a pair of runs; such cord being more or less loose and readily flexed by the lateral movement of the stick or standard 1*. Mounted on the runs of said cord is a jointed figure or jumping-jack 6; the hand portions 7 of. the arms 8 of which are apertured at 9 for the passage of the runs of said cord. In addition, the cord preferably carries a disk 10 also apertured to receive both cords and interposed between the hands; which disk is so disposed as to appear to be heldby the hands of the figure, and this disk serves in a measure to perform the function of a counterweight and also gives the figure the appearance of throwing a ball from above the head when in one position, and of tossing it between the feet when in another position.

, As is common with toys of this character 7 order that the figure may be operated, it is necessary to flexor' laterally move the movable stick or standard 1 supporting one end of the looped cord 5 upon which such figure is mounted, and for this purpose a rod 15 is connected to the end of said stick or standard 1 within the box, which rod may be of wire arranged to pass through the lower end of said stick or standard 1, with an upturned end 16 whereby it may be held in position with relation thereto. By preference, this rod also passes through the lower portion of the stick or standard 1 and has an outwardly projecting portion in the form of an eye 17, to which a suitable operating ring 18 is attached. By pulling said wire to the right, the lower end of the movable stick or standard 1 will be drawn toward the lower end of the fixed stick or standard 1, while the upper end of said stick or standard 1 will be spread apart from the upper end of the stick or standard 1, and this will have the effect of causing the looped cord to assume a taut condition with its runs in parallel position, and by this action the figure will be turned or whirled into many grotesque and diverting positions; the pull on the rod being alternated by movements releasing the same.

It will be noticed that the runs of the looped band or cord 5 are parallel between the hands of the figure as shown in Fig. 1, and are crossed outside the same, and the initial movement or flexure of the stick or standard 1 will tend to bring the runs of said band or cord into parallel position throughout their length, which will elfect the raising of the figure; its fall being occasioned by releasing the pressure on such stick or standard.

In operating this figure, the manipulator may place his second finger in the ring 18 and then, by holding his knuckles against the side of the base, pressure may be applied to such ring to pull'the rod 15 in a manner substantially similar to the application of pressure of the finger upon the trigger of a gun I claim:

1. In a jumping-jack or similar toy figure, the combination with said figure, a pair of sticks or standards, a looped cord carried by said sticks or standards to support the figure, a support for said sticks or standards, one of which is fixed and the other movable with respect to said support, of a movable connection carried by the movable stick and horizontally disposed and extending directly therefrom through a Wall of said support at a point below the top of the same, said connection having an operative element outside of the support below the top of thesame for engagement by the finger.

2; In a jumping-jack or similar toy figure, the combination with said figure, a pair of sticks or standards, a looped cord'carried by said sticks or standards to support the figure, a box-like support for said sticks or standards, one of which is fixed and the other movable with respect to said support, of a movable rod carried by said support for efit ecting the movement of the movable stick with respect to the fixed stick, said rod passing through both sticks and a wall of the support below the top of the same and being operatively connected to the movable stick and an operative element carried by said rod outside the box-like support and below the top of the same, for engagement by the finger.

3. In a jumping-jack or similar toy figure, the combination of supporting sticks or standards, a mount for the same, one of said sticks being movable with respect to the other,rmeans for operating said movable stick with respect to the fixed stick, I

a cord having double runs carried by said sticks, a jointed figure carried by the runs of said cord, said figure having portions apertured for the passageof said cord, and a disk-like member also carried by said cord and interposed between the portions of the figure carried by said cord and disposed above the. same.

In testimony whereof, I-have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. BRAUGHT.

Witnesses:-

T. RALF James, H. E. NIESLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. V 

